A quality personalised service from a law firm based in Portsmouth/Havant, Southampton and Liverpool. We can help you. We will provide free first advice. Our lawyers are specialists in their areas of work.

Our Team

Our Team

We have specialist lawyers, many of whom are recognised as leaders in their respective fields and also share our unique focus on quality service and putting our clients first. Click here to find
out more about our legal experts.

Fees & Figures

Fees & Figures

We provide a number of payment options: No Win No Fee, Legal Aid, Monthly payments, Fixed fee payment and other options. Here you can learn more about our payment options.

It may be possible to prevent Schizophrenia by calming the brain's immune system, say scientists.

The brain’s immune cells are hyperactive in people who are at risk of developing Schizophrenia, as well as during the earliest stages of the disease, according to a new study by researchers at the Medical Research Council’s (MSC) Clinical Sciences Centre in London. The findings, published today in the American Journal of Psychiatry, suggest that inflammatory processes play an important role in the development of the disease, and raise the possibility that it could be treated with drugs that block or reduce this cellular response.

Researchers at the MSC Clinical Sciences Centre, based at Imperial College London, in collaboration with colleagues at King’s College London used brain scans to measure levels of activity of immune cells in the brain. These cells, known as microglia, respond to damage and infection in the brain, and are also responsible for rearranging connections between brain cells so they work as well as possible; a process known as pruning. Experts believe they can detect the condition before the onset of the illness meaning doctors could treat those at risk early enough to avoid the most severe symptoms.

Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that affects about 1 in 100 people, and is characterised by symptoms such as auditory and visual hallucinations, and delusions of paranoia or grandeur.

Dr Oliver Howes, the head of the psychiatric imaging group at the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, told the BBC News website: "This is a real step forward in understanding.

"For the first time we have evidence that there is over-activity even before full onset of the illness.

"If we could reduce activity [before full-blown illness] then we might be able to prevent the illness - that needs to be tested, but is one key implication [of the research]."

He thinks the microglia become like a gardener too keen with the shears and sever the wrong connections in the brain leaving it wired incorrectly.

"You can see how that would lead to patients making unusual connections between what is happening around them or mistaking thoughts as voices outside their head and causing the symptoms we see in the illness," Dr Howes added.

Melanie Lidstone-Land and the clinical negligence team at Swain & Co Solicitors LLP regularly win compensation for their clients who have experienced substandard treatment or failures to provide treatment. This could include inappropriate treatment by a Mental Health Trust. If you, a family member or a friend have experienced problems regarding substandard medical treatment contact our team today on023 92 483322.